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SBCC Madrid: Mid-Program Reflections

Continuing our spotlight on SBCC’s Madrid program, the program’s official student blogger, Rachel Sevy, discusses her and the group’s feelings as they approach the program’s halfway point. From discovering the art of film, to traveling throughout Spain and beyond, the study abroad experience has clearly made an unforgettable impression on these students.

Today marks the end of my sixth week in Madrid. I only have six weeks left in my program and I know how quickly the departure date is going to approach. Madrid already feels like a second home, and my classmates and I can agree that we wish we were staying here longer. All the staff at ACCENT have provided us with great resources here in Madrid, and our classes are going well. Through my Spanish Culture class I have had the privilege to learn about all of Spain’s history. I enjoy learning about different monuments in Spain and then being able to go see them firsthand. Every Thursday, we have a field trip to a different museum in Madrid, which I also enjoy since it makes our classes more hands-on. In my Film Studies class, we watch a movie every week and pick out different techniques that we see in the movie. We’ve watched movies like Fahrenheit 451, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Citizen Kane, and several short films from early on in film history. I have a new appreciation for the art of film; the course has created a new lens for me that allows me to see movies in a new way.

So far, I’ve traveled to Toledo, Barcelona, Seville, Tangier, Morocco, and Lagos, Portugal. I feel so grateful for this opportunity. Not everyone gets to travel this much at my age, and I am able to do so while earning credits. I definitely recommend studying abroad to anyone who is interested.

The change of culture is really refreshing to me. The culture here is much more relaxed and not as stressful, but everyone still works and studies hard. There isn’t as much of a focus on celebrities or models or the luxurious lifestyle that comes with being famous. It feels as if normal, everyday life is celebrated here. I would love to live in Spain for a couple of years in the future.

The next six weeks are going to fly by, but I’m excited for what I am going to experience and how much more I am going to learn. I am totally in love with this country.

~Rachel Sevy, SBCC Madrid

Check back in for more updates on Rachel’s experience abroad!

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